Dispenser



Oct. 22, 1968 G. LOOPER 3,406,657

17 INVENTOR GLENN LOOPER F |G BY W M Ma, ATTORNEYS V G. LOOPER Oct. 22, 1968 DISPENSER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 21, 1965 United States Patent 3,406,657 DISPENSER Glenn Looper, Box 76, Dalton, Ga. 30720 Filed Oct. 21, 1965, Ser. No. 500,120

3 Claims. (Cl. 118261) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A latex dispenser includes a cylindrical chamber made up of a housing and a cover. A ball is held inside the container and protrudes through the cover to discharge a film of latex against the finger of an operator when the operator draws his finger over the ball and outwardly along the conical surface of the cover which surrounds the ball. Clearance between the ball and the cover may be obtained either by telescoping the container to a varying degree or by depressing the ball against a spring-loaded seat. The ball is held in engagement with the cover.

This invention relates to a dispenser for viscous sub stances. More particularly, it is characterized by a rotatably mounted sphere or a reciprocable flanged cylinder, a portion of which is submerged in the substance, and a portion of which is exposed exteriorly of the dispenser.

Highly viscous substances such as adhesives are generally difficult to dispense in small controlled quantities. The problem is accentuated when a highly volatile substance such as latex is dispensed. In the case of latex, a means must be provided that limits exposure to the atmosphere to that portion being actually dispensed and used. Exposure of the balance of the latex generally causes a premature hardening within the dispenser and when so hardened the latex is useless.

The present invention is particularly adaptable for use in dispensing latex, although it is not limited thereto. It is especially useful in the yarn-splicing field where it is necessary to make a quick, secure yarn splice to either mend a break in the yarn or splice a nearly expired creel of yarn to a new creel. The latter is termed creeling up the yarn.

The present invention provides a means for dispensing an appropriate quantity of latex upon the fingers of the user. The opposing ends of the yarn may then be spliced simply by overlapping them and rolling the lap-joint between the finger containing the dispensed latex and a thumb.

Accordingly, this invention has among its objects to provide:

A dispenser for viscous substances which exposes to the atmosphere only the portion of the substance actually dispensed;

A dispenser including a rotatably mounted sphere, a portion of which is exposed to the atmosphere and a portion of which is submerged in the viscous substance to be dispensed, which does not become inoperable due to clogging and internal adhesion of the elements during use;

A dispenser which utilizes a rotatably mounted sphere as described above wherein said sphere is permanently retained in an exposed position so as to eliminate the chance of misplacement during disassembly of the dispenser for cleaning;

A dispenser of the character described above in which the internal volume is adjustable to compensate for the volume of substance dispensed therefrom; and

A dispenser of the character described and means for limiting and controlling the quantity of substance dispensed on the sphere; and

A dispenser of the character described wherein the sphere is mounted for reciprocation in its opening to thereby vary the amount of substance dispensed and 'ice means is provided for adjusting and controlling the degree of reciprocation.

Each of the above objects is fulfilled by the embodiments shown in the drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional view of one embodiment of the dispenser and shows the dispenser housing, cover, sphere, and sphere seat.

FIG. 2 is a vertical section of another embodiment of the invention wherein means is provided for urging the dispensing sphere into engagement with the cover aperture to thereby limit and control the quantity of substance dispensed. The embodiment of FIG. 2 also includes means for retaining the sphere in close proximity to the cover to eliminate the chance of separation from the cover during disassembly.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view with a portion cut away and shows the generally cylindrical form of the dispenser.

FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional view of another embodiment of the invention and shows a reciprocably mounted seat and means for retaining the sphere on the seat. FIG. 4 also shows means for adjusting and controlling the degree of reciprocation of the seat and sphere.

FIG. 5 is another embodiment of the invention wherein the sphere is spring seated and means is provided for adjusting the degree of reciprocation of the sphere.

FIG. 6 is another embodiment of the invention and is characterized by a reciprocably mounted flanged cylinder.

With reference first to FIG. 1, the dispenser 10 includes a housing 11 which defines an opening 12 and an interior cavity 13 for the viscous substance such as latex to be dispensed. Cover 14 is provided over opening 12 and frictionally engages the sides of housing 11. Cover 14 is provided with a circular aperture 15 centrally positioned and having a beveled or conical surface. The exterior surface of cover 14 is generally concave from the periphery thereof to aperture 15 to thereby form concave surface 16. The extent to which concave surface 16 may include the exterior surface of cover 14 may, of course, vary. In general, however, the concave surface 16 extends from the periphery of cover 14 to aperture 15. 0

Seat 17 is integrally formed on the floor 18 of housing 11 and defines plane surface 19 and conical sides 20. Conical sides 20 define a circular seat entrance 21, the dimension of which is critical and will be more particularly described below.

Sphere 22 is seated upon seat 17 tangent to plane surface 19 and confined within conical sides 20. It has a diameter greater than the diameter of aperture 15 and has a portion 22a extending through aperture 15 and exposed exteriorly of housing 11 and cover 14.

The dimension of seat entrance 21 is critical. In particular, the diameter of entrance 21 must be in excess of the diameter of the circle defined by the intersection of the plane of entrance 21 with sphere 22 when sphere 22 is seated tangentially upon plane surface 19. In other words, when the sphere 22 is seated on seat 17, there must be a tolerance between the surface thereof and conical sides 20 such as is shown in FIG. 1. The tolerance may vary. In general, however, a tolerance in the range of 0.01-0.1" (excess in diameter of entrance 21) is suitable. The tolerance is necessary to avoid clogging and gumming of the area between sphere 22, plane surface 19 and sides 20.

In the embodiment of FIG. 1, the engagement between cover 14 and housing 11 in the vicinity of opening 12 consists of corresponding conical surfaces. Thus cover 14 is wedged into the accommodating portion of housing 11.

The degree to which cover 14 is wedged into housing 11 varies the tolerance between cover aperture 15 and the surface of sphere 22. Thus the amount of substance on the surface of sphere 22 that is dispensed (i.e., transferred from cavity 13 to the exterior of cover 14 through 1 .3 aperture 15) may be limited and controlled. By wedging cover 14 tightly into housing 11, aperture 15 is brought into close contact with sphere 22 and a relatively efiicient scraping action is provided by aperture 15 against the surface of sphere 22 during rotation thereof. By relaxing the position of cover 14 in housing 12, the tolerance between sphere 22 and aperturelS maybe increased and a greater quantity of substance dispensed for rotation of sphere 22. A

A second embodiment is shown in FIG. 2. The embodiment includes all the essential features shown in FIG. 1. In addition, it includes means for retaining sphere 22 in close proximity to cover 14,,a reciprocably mounted seat 17, and athreadedengagement between cover 14 and housing 11.

The means for retaining sphere 22 in close proximity to cover 14 consists of retaining fingers 23. .Fingers, 23 depend from cover 14 and are generally thin, as best seen inYFIG. 3. The tips 24 of fingers 23 lie on a circle having a' diameter less than the diameter of sphere 22. so that sphere 22 may be retained by tips 24 in a position extending through cover aperture 1 5. Thus, when cover 14 is disengaged from housing 11, sphere 22 is not released, which thereby considerably reduces the chance of losing or misplacing it. I I p a Seat 17 is reciprocably mounted on piston 24 slidable in cylinder 25, the latter of which is an integral portion of housing 11. A large tolerance is provided between piston 24 and cylinder 25 to vent the space 26 and to otherwise prevent clogging or gumming between the two. Spring 27 is seated in spring recess 27 in seat 17 and, at the other end, in recess 28 provided at the base of cylinder 25. Spring 27 is in compression and therefore urges sphere 22 into contact with cover aperture 15. Unlike the embodiment of FIG. 1, the embodiment of FIG. 2 provides for variation in the tolerance between sphere 22 and aperture 15 by depressing sphere 22 against the action of spring 23 during the rotation of sphere 22.

The embodiment of FIG. 4 includes reciprocably mounted seat'29 which contains integrally formed fingers 30 for the purpose of retaining sphere 22. Seat 29 is reciprocably mounted on stud 31 and spring 32. Adjusting screw 33 is provided to control the degree of reciprocation of seat 29 and accordingly sphere 22.

The embodiment of FIG. relies on spring 34 as 'both a seat for sphere 22 and means for reciprocably mounting the sphere. Fingers 28 are provided to retain sphere 22 in cover 14 as in the embodiment of FIG. 2.

The embodiment of FIG. 6 is characterized by flanged cylinder 35 which is reciprocably mounted on stud 36 by means of spring 37. Screw 38 serves to anchor spring 37 to the bottom of housing 11. Cylinder 35 and flange 35a are accommodated in cover aperture 15 although suflicient tolerance is provided so that substance may be forced out of the dispenser by flange 35 between aperture 15 and the surface of cylinder 35. Thus as cylinder 35 is re-.

ciprocated in aperture 15, flange 35a is immersed into the substance in housing 11. On its upward reciprocation flange 35a forces substance onto the concave surface 16 of cover 14. v

I The dispensers described are used by filling cavity 13 with viscous substance. Cover 14 is placed on housing 11. Sphere 22 .may then be rotated by means of the users finger to transfer, on the surface thereof, a quantity of substance from the interior to the exterior of the dispenser. The quantity of substance dispensed may be varied by varying the position of cover 14 (embodiment of FIG. 1) or by varying the pressure against sphere 22 (embodiment of FIG. 2). In the embodiment shown in .FIG. 6, the dispensing is accomplished by reciprocation of flanged cylinder 35.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A dispenser for volatile viscous fluids such as latex which comprises: 0

a housing which defines a fluid-reservoir cav ty and an a cover having a circularaperture therein, positloned over said opening, and adapted for removable engagement with said housing;

a seat disposed in,said housing on the floor of said cavity beneath said aperture;

" a ball having a diameter in excess of the diametenof said aperture, disposed upon said seat, and extending through said aperture thereby having a portion thereof exposed; and

- fingers depending from said cover and extending-below the center of said ball, said fingers being so positioned with respect to said ball that said fingers are out of engagement with said ball when said cover and housing are engaged so as todispose said ball upon said seat, but engage said ball to retain it on said cover when said cover is removed from said housing. 2. A latex dispenser for use in splicing yarn comprising:

a housing having a latex-receiving cavity formed therein; an upwardly biased, vertically movable seat resiliently mounted in the bottom of said cavityj a ball adapted to be disposed upon said seat;

a cover engageable with said housing, said cover having formed therein a ball-receiving opening of lesser diameter than said ball, and' said cover cooperating with said housing and ball to define a fluid-tight latex chamber when said ball is pressed upward into said opening by said seat;

said cover having an annular inverted frustoconical surface on its top side surrounding said ball cavity, said frustoconical surface having a greatest diameter which is at least twice as large as its smallest diameter and which is substantially larger than the diameter of said ball, and the top of said ball lying below the plane defined by the largest diameter end of said frustoconical surface; and

=finger depending from said cover and extending below the center of said ball, said fingers being so positioned -.with respect to said ball that said fingers are outof engagement with said ball when said cover and housing are engaged so as to dispose said ball upon said seat, but engage said ball to retain it on said cover when said cover is removed from said housing."

3. The dispenser of claim 2, further comprising adjustable means for limiting the downward movement of said seat.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Houtman 118--261 ROBERT 'W.v MICHELL, Primary Examiner. 

